By Your Side: Sequel to Not Alone
by xslashxlovingxslytherinx
Summary: Despite the connection felt upon their first meeting, Roxas and Axel have a long way to go before they realize their connection to each other. Warning: Shonen-ai. High School AU/Reincarnation fic. Can fit with canon, if you choose.
1. Chapter 1

By Your Side

Chapter 1

"So today we're covering the basics of Algebra, then after lunch we'll start the second half of the Literature curriculum… By the time summer's over, you should all be caught up with your future classmates." Their teacher smiled at them. "Oh, and let's all welcome Roxas to the class. I understand you're in the same boat with the rest of the class, so we'll make sure to get you adjusted as well as possible."

"That's Ms. Serenity…" Axel whispered to Roxas. "She's crazy cool. She doesn't mind that none of us know anything and is really good about teaching us stuff we're supposed to know already."

"She's a goddess." Demyx added with a dreamy smile. "Her taste in music is fantastic."

"How does he know that?" Roxas asked, shifting closer to Axel so their legs touched under their shared table.

"Ms. Ser normally plays music after she's explained what we're doing." Axel explained as he playfully nudged the blonde's foot with his own.

"In all seriousness, most of us hold her in very high esteem." Zexion stated from the table he shared with Demyx. "She was the one who got us enrolled here, and this whole 'catch-up class' was her idea… I whole-heartedly second Demyx's opinion on her status as a deity."

Roxas shifted his attention from his attractive tablemate to the young woman standing before them. She appeared to be younger than Axel, but there was a wicked glint in her amethyst eyes that spoke of years of experience. Her long black hair was braided, hanging down to her waist, and her face was framed with strands of black hair that fell to her shoulder and choppy bangs that did not quite reach her eyes. Since it was summer school, she was dressed in a black sundress with silver sandals and anklets, giving a strong contrast to her pale skin.

"I can see why they call her a goddess… She looks like she hasn't aged since he was sixteen." Roxas whispered to Axel.

"Not only that dude…" Demyx interjected. "Her aura is one of power… It's like her very presence demands respect and… reverence. Or something."

"It's true." Larxene nodded. "None of us have gotten into trouble this summer, a major feat for some of us." She gestured vaguely at Axel. "She's able to calm us down without being psycho like most teachers… It's kinda cool, in a weird way."

"Well, it's not that hard to keep us under control… There are only eight of us, nine with Roxy." Axel retorted.

"Alright, this is a basic equation that we'll be dealing with in Algebra." At the sound of her voice, all chatter ceased, and every student focused their attention on the young teacher. Roxas felt Axel shift closer and nudge him with his foot before a square of paper popped onto his notebook.

Don't let her freak you out. She'll grow on ya.

Thanks… Is this what we do all day?

Pretty much. She orders pizza for us around eleven and gives us an hour for lunch.

That's really cool.

Yup. We'll probably eat outside today if we 'behave'.

That sounds cool... So... What do you do for fun?

Burn stuff. Axel grinned, pulling his lighter out of his pocket at Roxas' inquiring look.

Oh, good. I was worried it was something illegal.

"Axel? How would you solve for 'x'?" Ms. Serenity asked.

"Subtract seven from both sides, then divide both sides by five. Then, you get 'x equals three'." He replied without glancing up from the note he was writing to Roxas.

"That's correct."

Babe, it's only illegal if you get caught.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The class opted to take their lunch break outside since the school offered many different garden areas for the Gardening Club to go crazy in. The Architecture Club and Woodworking Club had partnered with them a few years ago to create several different courtyards for the student body's enjoyment. Every courtyard had a different theme, usually based off of the flora of a particular country.

One of the courtyards had a Japanese theme, with polished cherry wood benches surrounded with cherry blossom trees. Another area was based off of African oases with overgrown grass and large trees, providing shade for several oak tables and benches which were situated around a small pond.

However, the favorite courtyard of this particular class was definitely the most creative one. It was loosely based off of 'Alice in Wonderland'. Each member of the woodworking club had been given free range for the table and chairs. The table was made of purple-stained oak and each chair was made of a different kind of wood, and was a different size, shape, and color from the other chairs at the table. There were almost a hundred different kinds of flowers, trees, bushes and vines surrounding the eclectic 'tea table', including white rose bushes splattered with bright red paint, courtesy of a bored art student.

Each student immediately took a seat, with Ms. Serenity at the head of the table, and immediately began digging into the pizza. Axel, however, immediately grabbed a box of pizza, and then took Roxas' hand, leading him away from the courtyard.

"Where are we going?" Roxas laughed, not minding the unexpected contact in the slightest.

"I want to show you something." Axel replied with a grin. "But you've gotta promise me that you'll keep it a secret, alright?"

"Promise."

The pair walked in a comfortable silence, weaving through the many school buildings and courtyards until they were far out of the sight of their class.

Nestled between two of the rarely-used buildings was a small white gazebo, completely deserted. It had high wrap-around benches built in to the inner-sides of the structure, on which Roxas immediately perched.

"This is beautiful…" he breathed as he looked around the secluded area. Surrounding the gazebo was an array of trees with thick branches that almost completely obscured the area from the view of the outside world. There were large vines of roses climbing the sides of the gazebo and several pots hung from the ceiling, overflowing with lilies and orchids.

"Yeah… yeah, it is." Axel smiled, moving so he was standing between Roxas' knees. It was quite obvious that he was not paying attention to the surroundings.


	3. Chapter 3

By Your Side

Chapter 3

Lunch ended far-too quickly, and the pair soon found themselves back in the cold confinement of the air-conditioned classroom.

So how does Ms. Ser know so much about our situation?

No idea… We're hoping she'll explain everything before we start school this fall…

"Alright, class… We're going to assign roles for our reading of 'Romeo and Juliet' as well as 'Much Ado About Nothing'…" Ms. Serenity trailed off, looking over the roll sheet in her hand.

"Um… why aren't we just alternating pages like we did for the last three books?" Larxene asked without bothering to raise her hand.

"'Pride and Prejudice', 'Animal Farm', and for some reason, 'Twilight'." Axel explained at Roxas' inquiring look.

"Because those were novels… Our next two readings are plays, which we will be acting out in order to fulfill both the drama elective and half of your required English credits." The teacher explained before smirking. "Plus… acting out the story is so much more fun than just regurgitating what was written years ago."

Somehow, I doubt it will be that fun…

Oh, it'll be tons of fun… for her.

"Now… who should play the part of Juliet…?" Ms. Serenity mused.

"Not it!" Larxene interrupted. Her outburst was immediately followed by several others echoing her words, including Axel.

"Crud… what just happened?" Roxas asked warily as every eye in the classroom focused on him.

"You've just involuntarily volunteered yourself for the role of Juliet!" Ms. Ser replied cheerfully, scribbling down the word 'Juliet/Beatrice' next to his name on her list.

"Okay, I really don't want to be—" Roxas began but was cut off by the teacher.

"Tough rocks. Next up…"

Don't worry about it… You'll be great.

Unfortunately, Axel was too busy offering his condolences to his tablemate to realize what was going on around him.

"Not it!" the whole class cheered simultaneously, causing his head to snap up.

"Wait, what?"

"Excellent! We now have our Romeo. Thank you for volunteering, Axel." Upon seeing Axel's death-glare, the teacher merely giggled. "Don't give me that look… You know how this classroom works… Now to cast the rest."

"Guess I've got no choice now…" Axel murmured, lightly nudging his foot against Roxas'.

"Huh?" was the blonde's intelligent reply.

"I've gotta be your Romeo."


	4. Chapter 4 REPOST

By Your Side

Chapter 4

_**CAST LIST**_

_**Xaldin- Montague&Peter/Leonato**_

_**Vexen- Lady Capulet&The Apothecary/Don John**_

_**Zexion- Gregory&Prince Escalus&Mercutio/Hero**_

_**Lexaeus- Friar John&Abram/Dogberry&Antonio**_

_**Axel- Romeo/Benedick**_

_**Demyx- Paris&Sampson/Claudio**_

_**Luxord- Capulet&Tybalt/Don Pedro**_

_**Marluxia- Friar Lawrence&Balthasar/Verges&Balthasar**_

_**Larxene- The Nurse&Lady Montague/Margaret**_

_**Roxas- Juliet/Beatrice**_

_**The Chorus will be read by everyone. That is all. Love, Ms. Serenity**_

Assigning the roles took a good deal of time, leaving the class with only an hour before dismissal. Rather than start their first play, 'Romeo and Juliet', Ms. Serenity opted to give them a group assignment.

"She wants us to rewrite the ending of 'Romeo and Juliet'? How are we supposed to do that when we haven't even started reading the actual play yet?" Roxas exclaimed.

"She gave us a basic summary…" Axel sighed. "Not that it helps us much, since it doesn't tell us how it ended…"

"We're supposed to write what we think should happen." Zexion supplied from the table behind theirs. "Regardless of whether or not we know how it ends…"

"We can totally cheat!" Demyx grinned. "The musical goddess that is Taylor Swift wrote a song that's perfect for this assignment!"

"Oh, yes… I forgot to mention this." Ms. Ser suddenly rose from desk and began to scribble away on the chalkboard. "I hate chalk…" she muttered before stepping away to reveal what she had written.

**NO** TAYLOR SWIFT REFERENCES.

"Rats!" Demyx cried.

"… So let me get this straight." Ms. Serenity frowned, reading the paper before her. "Romeo and Juliet run away together along with Tybalt, Paris, 'that nurse lady', and 'that friar dude', and then are captured by vampires? They begin sparkling after being struck by lightning and form a new life for themselves, calling themselves the Cullens?"

"Yep. That's what we wrote." Marluxia smiled.

"The lightning thing was my idea." Larxene added proudly.

"Well, it's certainly creative…" the dark-haired teacher sighed. "I'll give you a ninety-five because I hate 'Twilight'. Next is Demyx and Zexion."

The two quickly walked up to her desk and handed her their essay. They waited patiently as she read, occasionally exchanging glances. As she broke into a grin, they slapped each other's hand in a congratulatory high-five.

"Rather than run away, they work together to write a song that moves every heart in Italy? That's lovely!" Ms. Ser praised them. "I give it a ninety-six for historical inaccuracy… Somehow, I doubt the electric sitar was invented back then, although I'm certain Romeo would have played it beautifully…. Last, but not least, Axel and Roxas."

Axel playfully pushed Roxas as they waited for her response, receiving a nervous smile in reply. Axel winked back at the blond reassuringly, hoping to ease the anxiety that came with turning in your first assignment.

"…Did you boys really come up with this in just the past hour?" she eventually spoke, her eyes never leaving the page.

"Yes, ma'am." Roxas nodded.

"Although in our defense, you totally gave us the idea." Axel spoke up.

"Oh, really? How's that?"

"By casting Roxy as Juliet, of course. Reading the summary while imagining him as the lovely Juliet was all the inspiration we needed… Writing the ending came naturally." The pyromaniac smirked.

"You should be a novelist." Ms. Ser broke out in an excited grin. "Congratulations. You've just written the version of the play we'll be performing. I'll type up the revision tonight, then pass out copies in the morning. Class dismissed!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"So where's your place at?" Axel asked as the two sat on the bench, waiting for the bus.

"Huh? Oh, you mean where am I living…" Roxas shrugged. "I just 'woke up', as you guys put it, last night. Some guy was there when I came to… but he didn't answer any of my questions… He just sent me to bed. He woke me up this morning, gave me a backpack filled with stuff and then sent me on my way… He basically told me not to come back."

"So what you're telling me is that as of this morning, you're homeless."

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Well not anymore! You can stay with me… My apartment is small, and there's only one bed, but I can take the floor until we can get another one."

"No way… I couldn't impose on you like that!" the blonde protested.

"Yeah you could, and you will. You need a place to stay, and I wouldn't mind a roommate. So, it's settled." Axel grinned, clapping him on the back.

"…Thanks."

"All aboard the crazy train!" Xigbar called as he pulled in thirty minutes later. He tugged on the lever so the creaky doors swung open, allowing the students to board the bus.

"The sad part is that he's not kidding… He drives worse than a crazy person." Demyx grimaced as he entered the bus, followed by the other students of room 13. Once everyone was seated, Xigbar pulled the door shut.

"Alright, you guys know how this works. Sound off! Two."

"Three." Xaldin grunted.

"Four." The nerdy blonde in their class, Vexen, said.

"Five." Lexaeus said.

"Six." Zexion stated, sounding bored.

"Eight." Axel smirked.

"Nine!" cheered Demyx.

"Ten." Luxord said, not looking up from his deck of cards.

"Eleven." Marluxia sang.

"Twelve." Was said by Larxene as she punched the pink-haired boy in the arm.

"Thirteen." Roxas replied automatically before frowning in confusion. "We skipped some numbers…"

"Alright, that's everyone. Let's bounce." Xigbar stomped on the gas pedal, causing the bus' inhabitants to shift around uncomfortably. After a particularly sharp left turn, Roxas found himself thrust onto Axel.

"Slow down, old man!" the redhead shouted before focusing on the blonde seated in his lap. "Well hello there."

"Heh… hi." Roxas grinned, pushing against Axel for a brief moment before shifting to sit next to him again. That seating arrangement lasted only a few moments as Roxas was dumped into the aisle after an unexpected right turn.

"Oh, come on!" he yelped as he scrambled to get back into his seat. Axel leaned over and, grabbing the arms of his friend, pulled the blonde back into their row. He kept one hand wrapped firmly around Roxas' waist, pulling him closer.

"I'll be your seatbelt until you get the hang of riding the bus."

"Here we are… Clock Tower Courtyard." Axel grinned as he led his new roommate to the apartment building. "It used to be a hotel, but there was a fire several years ago, so it was declared to be Condemned by the fire department…"

"So why are we living here?" Roxas asked, eyes wide with worry.

"Relax; it's been fully restored. The old guy came and fixed it up about a year ago… He rents out rooms for really cheap now."

"Cool… How much is rent? 'Cause I'll pay half until I can get a place of my own…"

"Don't worry about it. I do chores for the owner, so I get my room for free… Speaking of which, I'll bet the old guy will want to meet you before you move in. Wait here so I can go find him."

"Alright." Roxas nodded before examining his future home. It was twelve stories of old red brick with vines and weeds covering the exterior of the building. With the dark windows, and overall run-down look of the place, it seemed abandoned.

"Well this is… charming." He remarked wryly.

"Isn't it though?" a blonde girl replied with a delicate smile.

"W-where did you come from?" Roxas asked, taken aback by her sudden appearance.

"From behind you of course." She giggled. "I'm Naminé."

"Roxas."

"It's nice to meet you… Have you been living here long?"

"Huh? Oh, no. I haven't even started yet. I had nowhere else to go and a friend offered to let me stay here with him… How about you?"

"I was sent here to get a room, actually… I've been living under the bridge for the past few days." Naminé smiled sheepishly.

"Hey, Rox! I found the old man…" Axel shouted as he approached, trailing off as he saw the blonde girl next to his friend. "Holy cow… You guys could be twins!"

"They are rather similar, aren't they?" an older man with long, graying blonde hair and a matching beard nodded.

"Hey! It's you!" Roxas blinked in surprise.

"Oh, dear…" the man sighed. "I am DiZ, your new landlord as of today."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Wait… You know Diz?" Axel blinked in surprise.

"You're the old man I met earlier!" Naminé exclaimed at the same time.

"Yes, little one. I sent you here, as well as young Roxas." Diz nodded sagely.

"You did not!" Roxas protested. "You threw me out the door and told me to catch the bus!"

"Indeed. And who was the one who brought you here?"

"Axel…"

"And who was the one who insisted you get a room here, Axel?" the older man shifted his attention to the redhead.

"You…" Axel admitted.

"So I led Axel here, then sent you to Axel, who in turn, led you right back to me. Therefore… I sent you here."

"Oh, come on! There's no way you could have known he'd take me here!" Roxas exclaimed.

"Ah, but there is. You two were very close, it was only natural to assume that you would be drawn together again."

"What do you mean?" the blonde boy frowned.

"Yeah, we've never seen each other before today…" Axel added.

"My dear boys, these answers are not mine to give. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to show Miss Naminé to her room." With a quick little bow, he turned and led the blonde girl into the building.

"That man is well on his way to ending up worse than Xiggy." Axel shook his head. "At any rate, let's go to the room and get you settled in. Here's a room key."

Roxas took the offered card, examining the numbers written on it with amusement.

"Room 813, huh?"

Axel hadn't been kidding: the room was small, as most hotel rooms are. The living room doubled as a bedroom, with the twin-sized bed facing the television to act as the couch. The kitchen consisted of a small microwave oven sitting on top of a mini-fridge with a small built in freezer. Both devices were settled under a shelf, which was located next to the closet and across from the tiny bathroom.

"Home, sweet home." Axel grinned as he pulled a bag of chips from one of the dresser drawers after throwing his backpack on top. He flopped down on the floor in front of the bed and turned on the TV as Roxas followed suit. Axel pushed the bag of chips towards Roxas, who was more than happy to dig in.

"What do you think Diz meant earlier?" the blonde asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"What do you mean?"

"You know… when he was talking about how we were 'very close' and all that?"

"Beat me." The redhead shrugged. "But I'd bet my lighter it has something to do with our… unusual circumstances."

"That's what I was thinking, too. Still… Something doesn't feel right. I feel like we're missing something. Something important."

"I know what you mean, but the way I see it, we've got plenty of time to figure everything out… Let's just enjoy the few hours we have left."

"Left until what?" Roxas' eyes widened.

"Until we realize that we have tons of homework to do, of course." Axel grinned. "Wanna play some Halo?"

"You're on!"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_Axel sat on the edge of a tall building, watching the lazy city below. It felt as though he'd been waiting for a very long time._

'_**For what? What am I waiting for?' he wondered silently.**_

"_Hey! Sorry I'm late! That Heartless in Halloweentown was ridiculously hard to find… But, I brought ice cream!" the blonde boy smiled as he perched next to Axel._

'_**Is this Roxas? No… it can't be… That'd be too weird.'**_

"_If it wasn't for the ice cream, I'd never forgive you." Axel found himself teasing, shifting to sit closer to the blonde._

"_Aw, did I keep you waiting that long?" the boys blue eyes twinkled mischievously._

"_Roxy, you have no idea."_

"I don't know about you guys, but I am so sick of the same dream every night…" Demyx sighed as he took his seat in front of Axel and Roxas on the bus.

"Same here." Larxene growled. "I mean, seriously! How many of those black creatures am I gonna have to fight?"

"You dream about those, too?" Demyx gasped. "How do you fight 'em off?"

"I normally zap 'em with lightening, and if that doesn't work, I stab them with some daggers."

"Sweet! I always have this giant sitar, and I can use it to control water and stuff… One time, I conjured up these awesome water clones and they did all the fighting for me!"

"I usually trap them with vines before finishing them off with one fell swoop of my elegant scythe." Marluxia interjected with an arrogant sniff.

"My dreams feature the same creatures…" Zexion mused. "I typically am able to confuse them with some kind of illusion before eliminating them with a rather large book."

As everyone on the bus became involved with the discussion, including Xigbar, Axel noticed that Roxas was silent.

"What about you, Rox?" he nudged his friend. "How do you defeat the dark creatures?"

"I don't dream about creatures…" Roxas trailed off, lost in thought.

"I don't either!" Axel blinked. "What do you normally dream about?"

"Well, I've only dreamed twice… But both times, I've been wandering through a tunnel of darkness, with no way out. It felt like I was searching for something."

"Probably a way out. Yikes! Talk about creepy." Demyx shuddered. "What do you dream about, Axel?"

"Not the creepy black things, that's for sure." Axel smirked before frowning. "Every night without fail, I dream that I'm on top of this building thing, looking out on a city at sunset, waiting for someone. But last night, that changed."

"Oh? What changed?" Demyx asked. "My dreams never change too drastically…"

"Well… the person I was waiting for showed up."

"Then what happened?" Roxas cocked his head to the side.

"Then… I woke up." Axel sighed. "It was kinda anti-climactic, ya know?"

"Were you expecting fireworks or something?" Naminé giggled from the seat behind them. "These things take time…"

"Whoa! When did you get here?" Demyx exclaimed.

"I came in with Roxas and Axel." She smiled. "I'm starting school with you all today!"

"Awesome! Another girl!" Larxene cheered. "Now I don't have to do so many chick roles!"

"Maybe I can get out of being Juliet…" Roxas murmured.

"No way, man. Not if Ms. Ser is doing our version of the play." Axel shook his head. "Besides, I don't wanna be **her** Romeo! I wanna be **your** Romeo!"

Roxas blushed, falling silent for the rest of the ride.


	8. Chapter 8

((A/N: Hey guys! Welcome to the last chapter! Enjoy! This one's gonna be a long one though, so please bear with me ^_^ This is dedicated to my beloved Lavi… Without her, I wouldn't be writing, and I certainly wouldn't be staying up till three AM to finish this thing… Thank you dearest!))

Chapter 8

The days of summer passed quickly, eventually leaving the students of Room 13 with less than two weeks until their production. They had all passed every single one of their final exams with flying colors, allowing them time to focus completely on their play.

"Okay… so let me see if I've gotten this correct." Zexion sighed. "Our version of Romeo and Juliet states that the reason the Capulets and Montagues hated each other so much was because of a gender issue? The title characters were promised to each other two years after Romeo was born and shortly before Juliet was born… Yet when the baby arrived, it was…"

"A boy?" Demyx exclaimed. "Really? What kinda plot twist is this?"

"It gets better." Marluxia grinned as he continued where Zexion left off. "Rather than disappoint their friends, the Capulets disguised the baby as a girl and continued on the betrothal. However, the Montagues discovered the trickery and were furious."

"So much so that they declared war on the Capulets, never telling anyone the reason why." Larxene added.

"Fast forward to when Romeo and Juliet meet at the ball. Juliet is still disguised as a female, and Romeo falls for 'her'. Later that night, in the garden, Juliet confesses her secret, but Romeo doesn't care…" Naminé sighed dramatically. "How romantic…"

"And from then on, the play continues normally." Ms. Ser concluded. "So… Places everyone! From the top!"

_**Axel moved to take a perch on a two and a half-foot wall and Roxas followed suit, opting instead to sit against the wall in front of the redhead. With a heavy sigh, Roxas leaned his head back to look up at Axel, the top of his head resting against Axel's chest. **_

"_**Hi." He said with a goofy smile.**_

"_**Hey." Axel grinned back, using a gloved hand to push a strand of hair away from the blonde's forehead. He leaned down to place a gentle kiss on Roxas's forehead, and the blue eyes slid shut.**_

"_**You know… if we had hearts… I'd think we were happy."**_

Roxas awoke with a start, jolting upright from his position lying on the floor. _/Another dream like that… What's wrong with me?/_

"Rox? You okay?" Axel was sitting up too, looking at him with concern. He was sleeping on the floor also, since the two of them couldn't agree on who would take the bed.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine." He nodded, not looking Axel in the eye.

"You don't look okay. What's wrong? Bad dream?"

"No, nothing like that…"

"C'mon… You can talk to me. What's going on?"

Roxas finally turned to face his friend, sitting there in silence for a moment before replying. "I honestly have no idea how to start…"

"Try the beginning." Axel encouraged. He shifted so he was slightly closer to his friend.

"I'm… confused." He sighed. "My dreams changed completely this time… I was walking in the tunnel of darkness again, when I saw this reddish light. I walked toward it and then…"

"And then…?"

"…You were beside me. We walked over to this ledge-wall thing and sat… We looked really tired. I felt tired…"

"Wait… Did I sit down first?"

"Y-yeah. How'd you know?"

"Then did you sit down, kinda in front of me?"

"Yes…"

"Holy…" Axel breathed as he rose to his feet. He began pacing slowly around the room. "Then what happened?"

"I-I leaned back against you…"

"Kinda like this?" He was suddenly crouched directly behind Roxas, close enough that his knees came in contact with Roxas' back.

"No…" Roxas wiggled a little bit, parting Axel's knees slightly so he could rest back against Axel's chest. "Like this." He leaned his head back, mimicking what he saw in his dream so his face was tilted toward Axel's bowed head. The redhead smiled slightly, placing a light kiss on Roxas' forehead before falling backwards and bringing Roxas with him. The blonde shifted so he was laying on top of Axel, their faces separated by only a few inches. He leaned forward to plant a light kiss on the other's lips before Axel wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him back into a much deeper one. Their lips fit together perfectly, like two halves of a whole that were meshing together after years of being separated. Axel's tongue flicked out to lick Roxas' bottom lip. As if by instinct, his lips automatically parted and their tongues intertwined for the briefest of moments before Roxas pulled back, rolling off Axel with an exasperated sigh.

"Axel… what are we doing?"

"Rox… I really, really like you."

"We just met a few days ago!"

"But we have a connection… One that can't be explained. Whenever I'm around you, I feel this pull… Like magnets or something… We've never met before, yet we have memories of each other that are relaying themselves as dreams… Is it possible that maybe, just maybe, this is what we're meant to be?"

"…I don't know. But I get the feeling that DiZ has some of the answers we need…" Roxas grimaced, rising to his feet. He walked toward the door, pausing only to throw on his sneakers before placing his hand on the doorknob.

"Rox… don't leave. It's late… Sleep on it and we can decide what to do in the morning. Please…"

"Why do you sound so sad?"

"I… I just get the feeling that if you leave… I won't ever see you again."

"So what? No one would miss me…" he found himself replying automatically, hands both falling to his sides.

"That's not true! …I would…"

"… Okay what the heck just happened? 'Cause none of what we just said makes any sense…"

"You are repeating a conversation you had in your past lives." DiZ replied from the doorway. Roxas jumped away in surprise.

"When did you get here?" he demanded.

"Just a few moments ago… But that's not the point. You have questions, if I'm not mistaken."

"Yeah… what's with this whole 'past lives' business?" Axel asked, moving so he was standing beside Roxas.

"There are many worlds besides our own… In one of these worlds, called 'The World That Never Was', the two of you dwelled as part of an evil group called 'Organization XIII'. You were creatures without hearts, called 'Nobodies' that desired nothing more than to gain hearts. However, you all faded into Nothingness before you could accomplish that goal."

"By 'you all', I'm assuming you're referring to the rest of Ms. Ser's class?" Roxas interrupted.

"With the exception of Naminé and Ms. Serenity herself, yes." The older man nodded. "I, too, faded into Nothingness. Kingdom Hearts granted your wish for hearts by giving you all this second life, allowing you to live like normal human beings for the rest of your lives in this world."

"Why do you remember all of this, but we don't?" Axel raised an eyebrow. "That makes no sense…"

"Of course it does. Unlike you all, in my past life, I had a heart already. I faded because I gave up my life in order to save a friend as well as the world. However, I also faded due to my own folly. Because of this, it is my job to act as a sort of aide for you all for whenever you have questions."

"What about Ms. Ser? Who was she in our past life?" Roxas inquired.

"No one. I believe she is the Princess of Heart for this world… A Princess of Heart is pure in every way fathomable, you know, and that is quite true of her. However, she has been daunted by dreams of our past lives since she was very young… The poor dear." DiZ shook his head sadly.

"What about us? What does that have to do with our connection?" the blonde continued in his badgering while Axel remained silent, waiting.

"…The two of you were incredibly close in your past lives. I believe your connection to each other has to do with the relationship you had back then… But I am not entirely sure. I do, however, remember a conversation the two of you had in my mansion… You had just finished an intense battle, as I recall…"

"You guys were amazing!" Ms. Serenity gushed happily as everyone assembled backstage. "I am definitely glad we chose to skip 'Much Ado About Nothing' so we could focus on this one…"

"Me too…" Larxene smirked. "Less lines for me to memorize."

"Oh, hush, you." Marluxia nudged her with a chuckle. "We really were amazing, though, weren't we?"

"I can happily say that you are all ready for whatever new adventures await you in high school." Their teacher smiled, fighting back tears. "That being said, I am certainly going to miss you all…"

"Aw, we'll miss you too, Ms. Ser!" Demyx hugged her before pulling away with a frown. "Wait… where are you going?"

"Meeting you all, learning about who you are… It's inspired me." Was her answer. "I want to travel… See the rest of this world before I try to go to other worlds…"

"Really? Do you think you'll make it to the world we came from?" Roxas asked, wide eyed. He was still in his blood-splattered gown from the final act, but his long blonde wig was nowhere to be seen.

"Who knows? But I'd really like to." She laughed. "But in the meantime, let's celebrate. Ice cream's on me!"

"I'll drive!" Xigbar offered.

"Sure, but you'll buy your own ice cream." Ms. Ser shot him a wicked smile.

"Aw, come on! I did the lights for you guys! Doesn't that earn something?"

"Yes… It's called your paycheck. We all know that's part of your job." Zexion rolled his eyes. "Oh, yes, before I forget, I wanted to thank you."

"For what?" The dark-haired teacher blinked.

"For explaining to us the truth… about who we were." He replied. "I hate not knowing something, and you put my curiosity to rest. So… thank you."

"Aw, you're welcome. I just wish I could have told you all sooner…"

"Don't worry about it… When DiZ gives you a gag order, you can't exactly say no." Axel grinned. "Crazy old man…"

"Yeah, well that 'crazy old man' certainly helped us out, didn't he?" Roxas retorted, entwining his fingers with Axel's.

"That he did, babe. That he did…"

"… _**I think I know what conversation you're talking about." Roxas said before DiZ could explain.**_

"_**Did it take place after you destroyed my computer room?"**_

"_**Yeah…" the blonde nodded before turning to face Axel.**_

"_**Let's meet again in the next life." The redhead whispered.**_

"_**Yeah… I'll be waiting." He replied softly.**_

"_**I know you will… I'll be waiting, too."**_


End file.
